Lost
by EternallyPresent
Summary: Chibiusa feels it. Her heart is trying to tell her something... something went terribly wrong.
1. Original

I shoved aside a large rock that, until just a moment ago, had been blocking my view of the sky. My fingers grasped around another rough edge as I tried to use whatever body strength I had left to pull myself up. I finally had a steady hold, and winced as I accidentally slipped and almost fell again. How much time had passed? It seemed as if it was a few seconds, though it felt like much longer. A blinding flash of light was the last thing I remember seeing before I was thrown back.

The sky matched the piles of rock and debris that lay everywhere; gray and cold. My pink boots clicked on the cracked ground as I finally stood straight. A chilly, uninviting wind blew. I shivered, rubbing my upper arms where gloves didn't cover them. I frantically looked around for my friends, who were lying across the huge pieces of rubble, their Sailor Fukus ripped into rags. Cuts and bruises stained their skin, trails of blood ran down their mouths.

My eyes fell on a tuft of white hair. Even though every part of me hurt, I ran. Jumping over a boulder, I sprinted to where I spotted it. My heart beat faster and faster the closer I got, whether from nervousness or not I didn't know. A few feet away he lay, completely still.

No one stirred. _They're probably still unconscious. _But the silence was unnatural. I knew they were alive. But a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach told me something else. In a panic, I jogged a little closer to his white figure, and knelt down beside him. I took his hand, and a chill ran down my spine. Why was it so cold? Was it suppose to be this way? _This isn't right..._ He was also beaten, but more than any of us. He had more gashes than I could count, even one across his handsome face. The crisp white robes he wore were covered in blood, the light hair on his head covered in dust. His tortured screams rang over and over in my head as I played back how he took whatever blows were directed at me, and hit him instead.

I laid a hand across his heart, right on top of a blue tassel that decorated his priestly garment. I snatched my shaking hand back as tears blurred my vision. _There's no heartbeat._ I buried my face in his robes, making small dark spots where my tears fell.

"No..." I quietly wailed. I felt as if my heart collapsed inside my chest. My memories were all I had left of him. Ones with his kind smile and reasurring voice. I clenched my fist as I remembered what the bright light was. He used the Golden Crystal, more power than he was granted. I remembered how he gave me a faint smile before summoning the Crystal. There was a barely audible cracking sound as the light grew full force and knocked us all backwards. _A cracking sound_.

I lifted my pink-haired head and turned it in all directions. There, a couple of inches away, were golden shards. _So many of them._ I reached for them, my fingers quivering. I touched the biggest of them all, feeling its coolness through the fabric over my hand. I picked it up, giving it an empty look. This was all that was left of the Golden Crystal; something that was once so powerful.

I gently laid it down next to his white figure."Please," I cried, "open your eyes. _Onegai,"_ I sobbed into my hands. _"Helios..."_

In the small cracks between my fingers flashed a yellow light, just for a moment. I lifted my tear-stained face. His chest heaved in a little bit, before he opened his flame colored eyes. He slowly sat up, clutching his heart. I bolted onto my feet again and took a step back in surprise. He didn't miss it. His eyes locked together with mine, but the look he gave me was different. Distant.

I was stunned into silence. Without a word, he stood up and extended his hand. His warm fingers touched my cheek. "Tears do not suit your brilliant eyes." He swiped his thumb to wipe away a fresh one.

I didn't get it. I thought I knew for sure that he was dead! "Helios, I thought-!"

He retracted his hand, and the warmth that flowed out of it went away. He turned his back to me and gazed at the sky. "Helios," he played with the word. "That...is my name?"

**A/N: Lately I've had the urge to write something depressing. *cackles* Anyways, this is a sort of aftermath to a difficult battle that included Chibiusa (who's point of view this is in, obviously), Helios, and the Inner Senshi. I think this came out pretty good, minus the plot holes of course. I was planning to make this into a multi-chapter story, but there just isn't enough information in this first chapter to do so. Instead, I've been thinking of making alternate endings. I really need your opinion on this one. Do you think I should make alternate endings, or is the story better off as it is? (The alt. endings will be added as extra chapters, so the original story will be labeled as 'Original') Please tell me what you think: Did you like it? Did you hate it? Whichever one it is, make sure to include why! Thanks, and see you in the next update! :)**


	2. Alt Ending

I shoved aside a large rock that, until just a moment ago, had been blocking my view of the sky. My fingers grasped around another rough edge as I tried to use whatever body strength I had left to pull myself up. I finally had a steady hold, and winced as I accidentally slipped and almost fell again. How much time had passed? It seemed as if it was a few seconds, though it felt like much longer. A blinding flash of light was the last thing I remember seeing before I was thrown back.

The sky matched the piles of rock and debris that lay everywhere; gray and cold. My pink boots clicked on the cracked ground as I finally stood straight. A chilly, uninviting wind blew. I shivered, rubbing my upper arms where gloves didn't cover them. I frantically looked around for my friends, who were lying across the huge pieces of rubble, their Sailor Fukus ripped into rags. Cuts and bruises stained their skin, and trails of blood ran down their mouths.

_Everyone! Oh no... _The closest to where I stood was Sailor Mars, slumped over a hunk of steel that broke off of a nearby building during the fight. I hopped over a lump of trash; you couldn't even tell what it was anymore, it was so charred. Her beautiful raven hair spilled over her back and shoulders and partially covered her face. When I brushed the hair away, I stifled a scream. Her violet eyes were wide open, but they didn't have their usual lively shine. They were empty. My vision swam at the terrible sight._  
_

"Minako-chan!" I cried as I ran to an orange figure sprawled on the concrete. "You have to help me! Rei-chan is..." my voice faded. Along her right leg was a deep gash, covered in red. Her light blue eyes that were once so cheerful, were blank. The shells glared directly into my own red ones. I gave a small whimper at her expired body before turning to the other direction to find Mercury and Jupiter.

The sky let out a low rumble of thunder. I looked around the whole site in a panicked attempt to see if they were nearby, and more importantly, if they were alive. I rounded a corner of a crumbling building, and saw a mix of blue and green. The two remaining Senshi were lying on top of each other, their limbs entwined. Jupiter's ponytail was almost undone, her green hair tie not far from being torn. Mercury's mini computer lay in pieces next to her. Ami-chan's azure eyes were void of light. Mako-chan's irises were a solid green, staring at the wreckage made by battle. My bottom lip quivered at the sight of it.

_The bright light I saw before...could it have been that they, _I gulped, _used a forbidden power? _Suddenly, I saw something: a memory. All four soldiers with their battle wounds stood in a perfectly straight line, holding hands. They each yelled out something, and their colors appeared as four beams of light heading for a black mass. The blue, red, green and orange lights pierced through the darkness. Their skirts flapping along with the current, they winced as they started to flicker for a moment. Not far from where they stood, erupted another beam. This one was a bright yellow, almost a blinding white. The vision zoomed in on the source. My heart leapt as I recognized the familiar white robes and wispy hair. His eyes were lightly closed and his arms laid out in front of him, holding the glowing Golden Crystal. A second later, a huge explosion took place in the sky, blowing everyone, including me, away.

I snapped my head up, eyes wide. _This is why they're gone? They gave all their power to save us from Darkness... _I clenched my fists, dirt gathering in my palms. _Everyone, don't leave me alone... _I couldn't hold back my tears. They dripped onto the littered ground, paired with a thunderclap. I felt a few small drops fall on me, but I didn't look up; I already knew what it was. The musty smell gave it away: rain.

It suited my mood pretty well. I hiccuped and sobbed, my long pigtails soaking in the downpour. As if from nowhere, I felt a warm hand lift my chin up. I quickly rubbed my eyes at what I saw. "_Minna*!"_

The girls smiled down at me. Sailor Venus knelt down next to me and patted my wet head. "You really are Usagi-chan's daughter, huh? She was always such a crybaby, wasn't she?"

"Believe me, I know that better than anyone. Constantly bursting into tears," Sailor Mars answered, her arms folded, but her words were filled with fondness.

"I was so worried-" I started to say, a small smile forming.

"Oh, it's all over for us. No need," Venus said casually, giving my head a final pat and got up with the other Senshi. "Chibiusa-chan, stand like a true lady," she probed. I wiped my eye, and obliged.

"Whether we're here," Sailor Jupiter motioned to where we stood, "or in here," she placed her hand over her heart, "we will always, in a way, be alive."

"We all love you. Take care of the future we fought to protect," Mars said.

"Chibiusa-chan," said Mercury, "promise us you won't cry, alright?" As she finished, their bodies started to fade into faint shimmers of light.

"Grow up to be the lady you always wanted to be, right beside your prince. In fact, I have a feeling he's not so far away," Venus teased, and winked. Jupiter gave me a quick thumbs-up, and Mars flashed me a peace sign. Sailor Mercury reminded me that whatever happened, to always do well on my exams. I laughed weakly at her comment, and the others scolded her for having such a poor choice of words as a farewell.

"_Sayonara*_, our Princess Small Lady Serenity," they chanted in unison, their mouths set in sympathetic grins.

"Everyone, please don't leave. The world-I!-need you!" I exclaimed as I tried to grasp onto their disappearing bodies. I was completely broken down, my usually smiling face a mess.

"He's looking for you," Mars whispered, and all that was left of them were four tiny specks of blue, red, green and orange light. The specks flew skyward until I couldn't see them anymore.

My friends were gone forever. The Sailor Team that was so powerful, invincible, didn't exist anymore. I turned around and stood there for a moment, letting the rain seep through my Super Sailor suit. They wanted for me to stay strong, didn't they?_ I will! _I silently promised to myself.  
_  
He's looking for you._

I looked up and squinted ahead. All I could see was ruin. Out of the remains, came a blurry white splotch, walking slowly.

_"Chibiusa!" _Came the call from where the splotch was. The voice was shaky, as if the person it belonged to was badly hurt. A step at a time, it came a little closer. The white clad figure collapsed onto its knees, clutching its arm in pain. My legs started to move on their own, breaking into a run and splashing into slowly forming puddles.

"Chibiusa..." It echoed, starting to sound like a desperate plea. The blinding sheets of rain didn't let up, falling as fast the clouds would let them.

"Helios!" I yelled after him. He angled his head up at the sound of his name. His snow white hair was framed to the sides of his face from the downpour.

He tried to stand up while holding onto his bad arm, wincing. Twenty, ten, five feet away. I wrapped my arms around him, sending him stumbling and taking a step back.

I buried my face in his shoulder. "I'm so glad," I said weakly, not daring to let go. I suddenly felt his body stiffen as he let out a small moan. I looked down at his injured hand, to see blood streaming down his forearm and dripping off his fingertips.

"This can be repaired. Your death wouldn't have been," he said before I could react to it. I felt his hold on me tighten. "Surely," he began, "the Senshi had done everything they could to give you a future.

"Maiden, forgive me. Had I possessed more power, we could have avoided this fate," he said with unmistakable and, unnessecary regret.

I shook my head. "You did so much! Thank you."

It was just silence between us, with only the sound of unrelenting rain, until he spoke again. "You're strong, Chibiusa."

"I promised I wouldn't cry. It's hard, though," I said uneasily, swallowed down the forming lump in my throat.

He chuckled, but it was without humor. "The King and Queen would have been proud."

That filled me with something I haven't felt since the battle first started. Things I've recently forgotten how to feel. _Courage. Strength._ Mama and Papa were always encouraging me, giving me gentle nudges towards the right path. Now it was up to me to follow it. Yes, my friends are gone, but they wouldn't want me to mope about it! "Helios, will you help me? To rebuild, and to rule Earth?" I asked, all signs of tears and the sadness that came with them completely gone.

He leaned in and softly touched his lips to mine. After a few blissful moments he pulled back, his eyes like two flaming balls of fire. I looked away and thought how the pink on my cheeks was probably visible by now. "Is it a yes, then?" I almost whispered the question I already knew the answer to.

He smiled at me, a real smile full of...was it love?

**A/N: Snap, crackle, pop here it is! After a month (dodges thrown objects) of having the original story posted, I have finished the alternate ending. As you probably noticed, I used the same first two paragraphs for both endings because it was easier for me, AND because I didn't want it to seem too much like different stories altogether. But you liked it, right? If you did, then you just made me happy! If you didn't, then maybe I'll make something you'll like next time! Please let me know in your reviews what you loved and didn't, and I would absolutely love it if you offered suggestions for any other stories, or another alt. ending (hint, hint)!  
**_***Translations***  
Onegai - Please  
Minna - Everyone  
Sayonara - Goodbye, Farewell_

**A huge thank you to my reviewers LoveInTheBattleField, RaptureEntice, and little-pink-star-rabbits! I had you guys in mind while writing this! ;)**


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